Alberta’s ADA Fee Guide

Alberta’s ADA Dental Fees guide is an excellent way to increase transparency in the cost and procedures of a dentist’s services within the province. The ADA fee guide is recommended for all Albertans seeking any dental work and provides you with some insights before selecting a dental clinic that is right for you and your family.

While keeping in mind these price points are not mandatory, we at Sierra Dental are proud to state that we do in fact try to align our fees alongside the provincial recommended fees for dental services.

It can be hard to know what dentist prices should look like. To help you find the best one, the ADA guide includes information on average costs and other important details that every patient needs before going in for any dental procedure!

• A list and description of dental procedures
• codes dentists use to identify procedures
• suggested fees

To avoid unexpected costs:

• compare your dentist’s fees with the dental fee guide
• ask your dentist to send a pre-authorization to your insurance company
• You should contact your insurance company to find out the amount covered and how much you’ll be required to pay.

We Follow the ADA Guide for Every Dental Procedure

We follow the ADA fee guide for both our standard dental treatments (cleanings, exams, fillings, root canals, etc.) & major cosmetic treatment (implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, etc.)

Sierra Dental is committed to transparency and good dental hygiene. We want you, our valued patient, to continue to bring your whole family to us for all your dental needs and not have to worry about sky-high prices being a deterrent to getting the coverage you deserve!

Alberta’s ADA Fee Guide was created so that all clinic members could have an accurate understanding of what it will cost them when they receive services at any given time – this includes cleanings or fillings, as well as crowns & bridges (to name just a few of the many services we provide).

It’s important that we stay current with any costs or changes outlined in the ADA Fee guide, as we will want to provide you the most up-to-date costs when sharing a quote for any of our dental procedures.

Dental Insurance Providers in Alberta

When it comes to dental care, many insurance providers have chosen to follow the Alberta Dental Fee Guide. When dental insurance follows Alberta’s ADA Dental Fee Guide, then dental benefit coverage should align based on what percentage you have coverage for. Prior to the Alberta Dental Fee Guide, this didn’t always happen, and it created frustration for patients and dental clinics alike.

You are welcome to call either of our Calgary offices (Signal Hill & Seton) or our Airdrie office to find out whether your insurance follows the Alberta fee guide.

In some cases, your insurance provider may only disclose information to you directly.

With our helpful list of questions, you’ll be able to make sure that your dental insurance benefits are being properly applied beforehand. This way, we can develop a strategy so as not to miss any dental treatments for your family when they need them the most!

Questions to ask your dental insurance provider

1. What is the annual dollar maximum of benefits allowed per patient?
2. What is the benefit year-end or anniversary date of the dental insurance plan?
3. What is the annual deductible amount?
4. How many units of scaling are covered in each benefit year?
5. Do you follow the current Alberta Dental Fee Guide?
6. Does the plan allow for white fillings on molar teeth?
7. What percentage of coverage is provided for the follow areas of dentistry?
   1. Diagnostic (%)
   2. Preventative (%)
   3. Restorative (%)
   4. Endodontic (%)
   5. Periodontal (%)
   6. Major treatment (%)
   7. Orthodontics (%)
8. Is endodontic and/or periodontal treatment classified as basic treatment or major treatment?
9. Is adult fluoride treatment covered?
10. What is the frequency allowed for the following treatments:
    1. Complete Exams
    2. Recall Exams
    3. Bitewing X-Rays
    4. Panoramic X-Rays
    5. Fluoride Treatment
    6. Polishing

Dental Insurance Coverage in Alberta

Dental Insurance providers don’t provide comprehensive coverage for all the treatments and procedures listed in the updated Alberta Dental Fee Guide. While an Insurance Provider may follow the Alberta Dental Fee Guide, it may not provide benefits for certain types of Dental Treatment (such as Orthodontic treatment).

However, we will work with you to find out what procedures are covered by sending either electronic or paper Pre-determination of Benefits requests to Insurance Providers on your behalf.

Insurance Providers usually require this for Major Dental Treatments (Crowns, Bridges, Dental Implants, Orthodontics, Dentures, etc.) prior to confirming eligibility. In some cases they will send this information directly to us, but in some cases they may only provide it to you by mail or your online account.

If they will only provide you with this information, please refer to the list of questions mentioned above, when speaking with your private dental insurance company.